Vinegar Dog Treatments

Apple cider vinegar has a long history of use for humans, but did you know that your precious pooch can benefit from these simple home remedies as well?

Practically any human use for apple cider vinegar can be also be used on dogs. Below are some vinegar dog treatments we think you will find very helpful!

Apple Cider Vinegar Dog Treatments for Health Problems

Your dog can reap the following benefits by ingesting apple cider vinegar at a ratio of 1 teaspoon per 15 lbs of body weight. It can be added to your dog’s food or its daily water. Use whichever method works best for your pet! (Always make sure to use apple cider vinegar rather than distilled vinegar when given as a food supplement.)

Apple cider vinegar contains over 30 important nutrients, 6 vitamins, 12 minerals, essential acides, enzymes, and a large dose of pectin. It is a good source of potassium and has excellent antibacterial and antifungal properties to boost the immune system.

Apple cider vinegar will help maintain your dogs acid/alkaline balance. You can test your dog’s urine with pH strips from the drug store. The dog’s balance should be between 6.2 and 6.5. If your dog’s numbers are lower the urine is too acidic. Adding apple cider vinegar to the diet will help re-establish the correct balance.

Apple cider vinegar will also improve digestion and act as a urinary system tonic. It has been shown to clear urinary tract infections and prevent the formation of bladder and kidney stones.

According to Organic Pet Digest, “Apple cider vinegar has also been found to be helpful in the treatment of the following: allergies, osteoporosis, cancer, candida, high cholesterol, constipation, muscle cramps, diarrhea, depression, ear discharge, eczema, fatigue, bladder problems, metabolism and stiff joints.”

Note: When using vinegar externally it is better to use distilled white vinegar on light colored dogs. Apple cider vinegar may stain the coats of light colored dogs.

Vinegar Dog Treatments for Urinary Tract Infections

Apple cider vinegar is a urinary system tonic. It will clear urinary tract infections and prevent the formation of kidney and bladder stones. (Always make sure to use apple cider vinegar rather than distilled vinegar when given as a food supplement.) A good dosage is 1 teaspoon per 15 lbs of body weight per day

Vinegar Dog Treatments for Coat & Skin Health

To eliminate dandruff, pour full-strength vinegar directly on your dogs fur after bathing and rinsing. (This will also rejuvenate the coat and help balance your dog’s skin pH levels.)

For a shiny, healthy coat mix 1 cup of vinegar with 2-4 cups of water and use as a final rinse.

Spray vinegar full-strength on your dog’s coat to normalize the pH balance of its skin. (This is one of my personal favorites! It also helps eliminate hot spots, makes the coat very shiny, deodorizes the fur, and helps repel fleas and ticks.)

Vinegar Dog Treatments for Itching

Itchy skin and hot spots will heal quickly when sprayed with apple cider vinegar, and may keep you from having to shave your dog. Fill a clean spray bottle using full strength vinegar unless your pet’s skin is broken, in which case you should dilute half and half with water.

For itchy feet soak your dogs’s paws in full strength apple cider vinegar. (Dogs with skin allergy problems often have itchy feet. If you notice your dog aggressively chewing on it’s feet , this should help.)

Vinegar Dog Treatments for Ear Problems

Clean your dog’s ears with full strength apple cider vinegar. Do this by placing several drops in each ear and gently massage. You can also apply full strength to a cotton swab to clean the ears.

Place a 5-10 drops of vinegar in your dogs ear as needed to treat ear infections.

Vinegar Dog Treatments for Pet Accidents and Other Things

To treat pet stains on carpets mix 1 part vinegar with 3 parts water. (For light or white carpets it is best to use white distilled vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar.) Pour this mixture onto stained areas and blot (do not rub) dry.

For a smelly coat, spray on full-strength vinegar and allow it to air dry.

Spray pet bedding with vinegar to freshen and deodorize. You can also add vinegar while laundering to freshen bedding.

Becki Baumgartner runs the Natchez Trace Veterinary Services Nashville clinic. She is training to become a Certified Master Herbalist, has a BS in Natural Health, and holds membership in both the Nashville Medical Reserve Corps and American Holistic Medical Association. Becki also teaches Reiki and Herbology continuing education classes in Nashville and surrounding areas.
Natchez Trace Veterinary Services offers a full range of veterinary services from cutting-edge Western medical treatments combined with alternative treatments, herbal formulas, and holistic options that many pet owners cannot find anywhere else.
Becki utilizes her natural health and herbal experience, skills, and knowledge to help pet owners understand all of the holistic, alternative, herbal, and standard options options available and achieve and maintain optimum health for their pets.
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I have read your post about vinegar. There are three kinds of vinegar. I need clarification on which to use for my dog, externally and internally. Clear distilled, clear apple cider, and organic with “the mother”. The organic “mother” used externally for hot spots tends to make her smell bad. Please advise thanks.

The Raw Organic Apple Cider Vinegar with the “mother” is the best to use. The “mother” is made of chain like enzymes that destroy bacteria. An absolutely amazing product. Clear distilled vinegar does not posses the enzymes that destroy bacteria both internally and externally. I have been using “Braggs” ACV for all my dogs for years and even created my own product with ACV called KetchPup. The benefits are endless and life changing. I hope this helps and great work, your dog is going to love you.

I tried to order KetchPup, but the web site says it will not be available for several months. Is there a recipe one can make at home until the product is available? I have a 90 lb. dog and need to get 2 Tbsp. of ACV into her per day. Just started with 1 tsp per meal. Not sure if she will tolerate 1 Tbsp. per meal.

I just bathed my rottwiler with dish soap and after her bath i duluted white vinager and water and sprayed it on her i mixed itin a small spray bottle half vinager and have water and i do this after every bath using white vinager that siad delutted with water will this hurt my dod by putting a teaspoon of this in her water please email me back ty jd

I just wanted to add a note that may help others -- My Corgi started licking his front paw Friday evening and all weekend long which has been driving us nuts! He’s never had any health, skin or allergy issues. We tried socks, bandage, Kong with peanut butter, etc. to get him to stop licking and as a last resort poured pure white vinegar on his foot at full strength. About 2 cups worth.

The moment we did this he immediately relaxed and has ignored his foot ever since. I rinsed with cool water afterwards and will keep an eye on it but the immediate transformation was amazing. The top of paw is red/irritated but there is no broken skin or bumps/sign of injury so felt safe doing so. This blog makes us feel much better about the decision to use vinegar and thank you for posting this discussion!

Have a Yorke poodle mix 5.5 pounds. We’ve been battling paw chewing off and on her whole life 2.5 years. Prednisone worked ok last warm season along with benadryl . A few weeks ago it flared up worse again lots of licKing and chewing and a few tummy sores or hot spots. Tonight is the first time I’ve tried apple cider vinegar diluted on belly, a few drops in water, and paws soaked. Please let this help her!!! Thank you all for great info

Paw licking is most likely due to some sort of allergy with a secondary infection of yeast and/or bacteria. The term for this is pododermatitis. The vinegar will help the yeast and bacteria but will not help the underlying cause which is usually allergies. The licking perpetuates the issue. Good luck!

I just happened upon this website and love the fact that a veterinarian is responding to people’s questions instead of us fumbling around with “what if’s” or advice that may not be accurate. I will keep this in my “favorites”. I have a 115 pound German shepherd that has hot spots. He discovered that I was spiking his pieces of hot dog with his antihistamine meds my vet gave me. He fought me when I tried to place the pills in his mouth so I had to give up. I am so glad to know that vinegar will work. I am going to try it on him. He is suffering terribly. Also will try it on another Shepherd I have who constantly licks the pads of his feet. Thanks so much for this site.

I have a 60 pound 6 month old bull dog pit mix I put his advantix drops on and didn’t think and took him to the beach the next day the following week he and patches of hair missing I took him to vet they did skin scraping it was negative I then saw the fleas he is black and white in fear of over dosing him I didn’t want to apply any more advantix so I bathed him w flea shampoo and rinsed with acv not knowing it would stain, he still has some fleas I treated house and yard what do you suggest I do till his next advantix application??? (Goin crazy)

Sorry about your flea problem!!! Fleas are a headache as I am sure you are aware!

My suggestion is to use Comfortis! I think Comfortis is a better, more natural flea product. Also, it is a pill and you don’t have to worry about it being washed off as you do with a topical like Advantix. Also, vacuum your carpets to get rid of ant residual flea eggs. I think you will see the fleas disappear if you use Comfortis on a consistent basis. Good luck!!!

Sounds like either compulsive disease or maybe something on the floor that triggers your dog to lick the floor. Like maybe some type of chemical that tastes good to your dog. My suggestion is to see if it will go away with time.

My 13-year-old Lhasa apso has a little fluid in his ears (I think it is ear medication we gave him several weeks ago for a yeast infection). He seems to have lost about 90% of his hearing. Took him to the vet yesterday and she could find nothing wrong with him. She said to mix 2 parts water and 1 part white vinegar to his ears and this will dry any fluid out. I am scared to do this because I don’t want more fluid in his ears. Does vinegar act as a drying agent? Should I use ACV instead of white vinegar?

I have read previous posts and I am so thankful that you help us in caring for our dogs. My question is, what is the best vinegar method of repelling fleas. I have drenched my dog with ACV and letting her dry naturally. I feel so terrible about the flea bites on her belly. Any other suggestions??

I have 2 dogs that I want to use the vinegar on. I am currently adding it to their water for healthier skin because one of them has allergies and I would like to use it to clean their ears. I have ACV w/ Mother which I have to order because it’s not available in stores here and I also have white vinegar that is very easy to find. Which would be best for using on ears. Discoloration is not a concern I would just like to know which has the best benefits. Thank you so much!

I am dealing with all of these issue with my Basset and I am getting ready to try the vinegar suggestion. I read all the post and noticed that usually you (Dr. Smith) have said use white vinegar, but in the last post for Paula’s 2 dogs you said use apple cider vinegar. I was wondering why the change in your response to her.

Hi Bonnie! Thanks for writing. I normally recommend white vinegar for external use, because apple cider vinegar can stain the fur of light colored dogs. I prefer apple cider vinegar for oral use. A great source for this is Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar.
If you have any other questions or if we can help you in any way, just let me know.